The New Nutrition Facts Label is Here

Approved by the FDA last year, with a compliance date of May 2018, we didn’t expect to see it this soon. So imagine our surprise when we picked up a bag of Trader Joe’s Organic Black Beans, and there it was!

What an improvement. On the new label, the “Calorie per Serving” amount is oversized and clear. More importantly, the serving size amounts have been updated to reflect what people are actually eating (rather than what they are supposed to be eating).

But the “Added Sugars” field is the best thing about it.

So if you’re having a serving of black beans, which has 31 grams of carbohydrates and think that’s high, just check the added sugars and notice that these are naturally occurring, complex carbs, and there is no added sugar (though plenty of fiber). Not a bad choice for a snack or side dish.

If, on the other hand you are helping yourself to a serving for cookies or ice cream with 31 grams of carbs, you will now be able to see that the majority of those are in added sugars. So maybe you’ll go easy…

Finally, we’ll be better able to decode labels and assess the true nutritional value of what we are buying and eating.